Bag loading or filling device



April 20, 1943. W E, NASH 2,31?,292

BAG LOADING OR FILLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 19, 1941 Patented Apr. 20, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BAG LOADING R FILLING DEVICE Ralph W. E. Nash, Nashua, N. H.

Application August 19, 1941, Serial No. 407,481

6 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in filling devices and pertains particularly to a device for facilitating the introduction of material into a receiving container.

In the packaging of materials such as stacks of paper napkins or bolts of cheesecloth, sheets, pillowcases etc. use is made of bag-like wrappers, one end of which is closed while the other end is open to receive the material. When handling materials of the soft nature of those above referred to, some difliculty is experienced in sliding the materials into the container or wrapping receiver.

In view of the foregoing, the present invention has for its principal object to provide a loading device which may be employed to facilitate guiding the material into the receiving wrapper so that the material will be neatly and tightly wrapped and will not be folded in any way or mussed in getting it into the container.

Another and more specific object of the invention is to provide a loading device for facilitating introduction of soft materials into a wrapping bag or receiver, which comprises a pair of members which cooperate to form a funnel-like structure which is introduced at one end into the wrapping bag and operates to guide the material thereinto.

Still another object is to provide in a device of the character stated, a pair of cooperating members which combine to form a funnel-like guide, in which one of the members is fixed and the other is movable relative thereto so as to facilitate the loading into receiving bags or wrappers of bundles of material of different sizes.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, it being understood however, that the invention is not to be considered as limited by the specific illustration or description but that such illustration and description constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a view in top plan of the device embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the device mounted upon a supporting board and showing the manner of using the device for introducing a bundle of folded articles into a receiving bag.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, it will be seen that the present device comprises a base supporting bar I which is turned downwardly at each end, as indicated at 2, and is attached to a foot plate 3. The plates 3 are designed to be secured to a suitable supporting table or baseboard 4, as shown in Fig. 3. At each end of the bar I, there is secured an upstanding or vertical post 5 which is provided with a longitudinally extending slot 6. Upon the outer side of each post 5 there is secured above the slot 6, an outwardly projecting pin 1, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described.

Disposed between the posts 5 is a unitary structure having a funnel-like function for the guiding of materials into a wrapping bag or receiver such as is indicated by the numeral 8. This structure is indicated as a whole by the numeral 9 and comprises a lower portion or chute l0 fixed to the posts 5 and a movable upper portion or damper II. The chute l0 comprises a bottom l2 of substantial length which extends across and rests upon the bottom bar I and the bottom merges into the upturned side walls or flanges l3, which are cut off obliquely at their forward ends, as indicated at l4. The rear portion of the bottom l2 slopes slightly downwardly, as indicated at I5, and terminates in a gradual downwardly'curved lip 16 and the rear ends of the flanges l3 terminate in the outwardly curving or rounded lips I! which are continuations of the lip 16, as will be clearly seen upon reference to Figs. 1 and 3 particularly. The rear end of the chute is thus provided with a relatively wide entrance mouth for guiding a bundle or stack of folded articles into the chute, such a stack of folded articles being shown in Fig. 3 and indicated by the reference character A.

The damper ll comprises an elongated metal plate l8 which is of less length than the chute l0 and also of less width. The plate [8 is turned at its opposite longitudinal edges to form the shallow flanges l9 and at its rear end the plate is curved upwardly to form the guide lip 20 which coacts with the lip I6 and the side wall lips I! to form an entrance mouth to the device. The damper ll is disposed within and between the side flanges or walls of the chute and adjacent the rear end thereof there extends across the damper and is secured to the top thereof, a supporting andpivot rod 2|, the ends of which extend through the slots 6 of the adjacent posts 5. Any suitable means may be employed for securing this rod 2| to the back of the plate l8, the means here shown consisting of a strip of metal 22 which is longitudinally channeled to receive the pivot bar 2| and which is riveted at opposite sides of the channel to the plate I8, as indicated at 23. 7

Upon the outer sides of the uprights 5, the ends of the bar 2| have connected therewith contractile springs 24 which are attached to the overlying pins 1 and these springs constantly draw the bar upwardly to lift the rear end to its uppermost position away from the chute l0.

While the structure illustrated has the pins 1 lying above the slots 6, it is contemplated as being within the scope of this invention to also locate these pins below the slots so that the springs 24 may also function to draw the bar downwardly. This positioning of the springs will be governed by whether the loader is high or low, and if it is high the springs are placed below the slots so that the goods will not hit the damper at the wrong angle.

What is claimed is:

LA device of the character stated, comprising a relatively long chute-like body having a bottom and side walls, means for horizontally supporting said body, a pair of standards disposed vertically adjacent one end of the body and having the body located therebetween, the said one end of the body having the bottom and side walls curved outwardly, an elongated plate having an overall width slightly less than the width of the space between said side walls, said plate being located adjacent one end be- 'tween the standards, said standards having vertical slots therein above the chute body, a

trunnion means at each side of the plate extending through-the adjacent standard slot to rotate and to move vertically therein, said plate at the said one end being curved outwardly to form a lip cooperating with the outwardly standard above the slot therein and normally urging the adjacent end of the plate upwardly away from the chute.

an elongated plate extending lengthwise over the body and disposed between said standards, and a pivotal coupling between said plate and the standards for oscillation of the plate on an axis extending transversely of the body, said pivotal coupling between the plate and the standards being constructed and arranged to provide means to allow the plate to have free movement longitudinally of the standards whereby the plate and body are movable relatively toward and away from one another simul- 113118011813 with the oscillation of the plate on said axis.

3. A container filling device as set forth in claim 2, including springs operatively coupling the plate with the standards and positively urging movement of the plate in one direction relative to the body.

4. A container filling device, comprising an elongated horizontally disposed body having a fiat bottom portion and upstanding longitudinal side walls, a pair of fixed standards disposed at opposite sides of the body and extending above said walls, an elongated plate 'extending longitudinally of and over the body and disposed between said standards, said plate having a width facilitating its disposition between the side walls, pivot trunnions extending laterally from the sides of the plate, and means forming a combined sliding and pivotal coupling between the trunnions and the standards whereby the plate may move bodily toward and away from the body and may oscillate on an axis extending transversely of the body.

5. A container filling device as set forth in claim 4, including spring means connecting each standard with the adjacent trunnion and maintaining the plate in apr edetermined position relative to the body. v 1 j 6. A container filling device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the stated means coupling the trunnions with the standards comprises a slot formed longitudinally in each standard into which the adjacent trunnion extends, and resilient means connecting each standard with the adjacent trunnion, the said resilient means maintainingthe plate in a predetermined position relative to the body. v

RALPH W. ENASH- 

